Free and Gentle ... oh, did we forget to mention that it might cause cancer?

How sweet. Tide Free and Gentle® could easily win you over with this commercial. Especially with this adorable grinning baby. I sure hope the baby isn't really wearing clothing washed in Tide Free and Gentle®, however. If so, this little one might be facing cancer in the future.

Whoa, that's a pretty bold statement, even from Green Grandma, don't you think?

Perhaps, but based on a report from Women's Voices for the Earth (WVE), there is evidence to support the statement. They found high levels of 1,4-dioxane in Tide Free and Gentle®, a known carcinogen! What's equally disturbing is that 1,4-dioxane appears nowhere on the product label or on the product website. You, my dear consumer, are not supposed to know it's there. Angry, yet?

As Tide® continues to market its so-called "free and gentle" detergent to young parents who are trying to do what is best for their families, bloggers like me have an obligation to expose the truth. Plain and simple.

Due to their immature immune, neurological and hormone systems, babies and small children are especially vulnerable to these kind of chemical exposures. And yet, the Tide® website has the audacity to state: Safety: The Most Important Ingredient in Tide®. Oh please.

But how bad is 1, 4-dioxane really?

It is a known carcinogen that has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. It acts as a solvent, and is an expected contaminant from other commonly used ingredients like sodium laureth sulfate, PEG compounds and others.

And, do yourself a favor and check out the Dirty Secrets Test Results, where they expose the true, and hidden, dangers of So, on this Review It Wednesday, rather than offering you a review aimed at making you want to buy something, this one's incentive is to do the exact opposite. In addition to not buying Tide Free and Gentle® , I am also issuing a Call to Action. I am asking you to contact Proctor and Gamble and demand they stop putting 1, 4-dioxane in their detergent! After all, not all mommies and daddies out there are reading GG, so they just might not be aware of the dangers lurking in their misleading bottles of "safe" detergents. Right?

• Clorox (Green Works, Clorox Cleaner, Pine-Sol)
• Proctor and Gamble (Tide, Bounce, Febreze)
• Reckitt Benckiser (Lysol, Airwick)
• SC Johnson and Son (Glade, Pledge, Windex)
• Sunshine Makers (Simple Green)

As consumers, parents and grandparents, we need to make our voices heard. We owe it to our children and their children. Change is possible. But it's up to us to instigate it.

So, on this Review It Wednesday, rather than offering you a review aimed at making you want to buy something, this one's incentive is to do the exact opposite. In addition to not buying Tide Free and Gentle® , I am also issuing a Call to Action. I am asking you to contact Proctor and Gamble and demand they stop putting 1, 4-dioxane in their detergent! After all, not all mommies and daddies out there are reading GG, so they just might not be aware of the dangers lurking in their misleading bottles of "safe" detergents. Right?

I hate to post negatives without countering them with some positive. There are many options outside of buying detergents off the shelf at your supermarket. We use Eco Nuts or Norwex Laundry Detergent, both of which are safe and effective alternatives. My daughters use Eco Nuts or Rockin' Green. If in doubt, don't hesitate to contact me for recommendations.

Reviewing it for you,

Hana